Collaborative Research: Improving the recruitment and persistence of women in the Geosciences: Exploring deliberate mentoring approaches aimed at undergraduate students

在地球科学领域，妇女的人数仍然很少。女性榜样和导师可以在女学生的生活中发挥重要作用，特别是在选择和致力于职业道路时。该项目通过正式和非正式、专业和同行指导相结合的方式，为STEM本科女生提供进入地球科学的途径。 该研究还提供了为什么指导对STEM女性有益的见解。 该项目从两个地理区域的机构（科罗拉多前线山脉和科罗拉多州）招募对地球科学感兴趣的大学一年级女生（来自任何STEM专业）。在他们的第一年，这些妇女被邀请到一个区域指导研讨会，以i）了解更多关于地球科学的职业生涯，ii）满足具有类似学术兴趣的同行，iii）获得更好的自我认识他们的价值观，优势和能力的职业生涯在地球科学，和iv）扩大他们的心理，社会和机构资源在地球科学的职业生涯。研讨会结束后，项目参与者可以通过网络平台获得同行指导和资源。通过这个平台，他们可以通过论坛相互交流。此外，他们还可以通过在每个机构安排的聚会获得女性榜样的亲自指导。 研究的重点是量化i）研讨会和指导对参与者与地球科学职业选择相关的意图和行为的影响，ii）研讨会和指导对参与者用于克服职业障碍的技能和资源的影响，以及iii）讲习班的主要特点和指导战略，预测参与者的看法和信念的积极变化，指导文献中基本上没有关于指导效果的实验研究。 这个项目将填补差距在文献中进行随机实验，其中本科妇女在科罗拉多州立大学和北卡罗来纳州大学在夏洛特将匹配的基础上，他们最初的兴趣在地球科学，学术记录和人口特征。 配对将被随机分配到干预（研讨会和指导）或控制条件。 此后，这两组妇女将参加一年两次的网络调查，问题涉及她们对数学的认同，她们对一般科学和地球科学职业的潜在成就感，她们对地球科学的性别刻板印象，以及她们与导师的经历。 此外，还将与干预组的妇女进行访谈，以检查支持和挑战，以及干预措施在她们对地球科学教育和职业的兴趣和/或坚持方面的作用。 将通过在同行评审的期刊上发表和在专业会议上介绍来传播结果。

Women continue to be largely under-represented in the geosciences. Female role models and mentors can play an important role in the lives of female students, especially when choosing and committing to a career path. This project is providing a pathway for STEM undergraduate women into the geosciences through a combination of formal and informal, professional and peer mentoring. The research is also providing insight into why mentoring is beneficial to STEM women. This project recruits first-year college women interested in the geosciences (from any STEM major) from institutions in two geographic regions: the Front Range of Colorado and the Carolinas. During their first year, these women are invited to a regional mentoring workshop to i) learn more about geoscience careers, ii) meet peers with similar academic interests, iii) gain better self-awareness of their values, strengths, and abilities for a career in the geosciences, and iv) expand their psychological, social and institutional resources for a career in the geosciences. After the workshop, the program participants have access to peer mentoring and resources through a web platform. Through this platform, they are able to interact with each other via discussion forums. In addition, they have access to in-person mentoring with female role models via scheduled get-togethers at each institution. The research is focused on quantifying i) the impact of the workshops and mentoring on participants' intentions and behaviors related to geoscience career choices, ii) the impact of the workshops and mentoring on the skills and resources participants use to overcome career-related barriers, and iii) the key features of the workshops and mentoring strategies that predict positive changes in participants' perceptions of and beliefs about the geosciences.Experimental research on the effectiveness of mentoring has been largely absent from the mentoring literature. This project will fill the gap in the literature by conducting a randomized experiment wherein undergraduate women at Colorado State University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte will be matched based on their initial interest in geosciences, academic record, and demographic characteristics. Matched pairs will be randomly assigned to intervention (workshop and mentoring) or control conditions. Thereafter, women in both groups will participate in a biannual web-based survey with questions concerning their identification with math, their sense of potential fulfillment in careers in the sciences in general and geosciences specifically, their gender stereotypes of the geosciences, and their experiences with mentors. In addition, interviews will be conducted with the women in the intervention group to examine supports and challenges, and the role of the intervention in their interest and/or persistence in geoscience educations and careers. Dissemination of results will be accomplished through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional meetings.